Longtime Nintendo game and hardware designer Genyo Takeda to retire

Genyo Takeda, the influential producer and hardware designer behind a number of Nintendo innovations, is retiring after 46 years with the company.

Takeda has been with Nintendo since 1971 when he first joined up to work on the arcade game Laser Clay Shooting. From there, Takeda would go on to create several memorable Nintendo titles, including Punch-Out!!, Pilotwings 64, and EVR Race.

While credited as Nintendo's first game designer, Takeda has also been the driving force behind many of Nintendo’s most influential hardware innovations. He had a hand in the creation of cartridge-based saves on the NES, lead development of the Nintendo Wii, and is largely known for creating the analog stick first found on N64 controllers.

After the unexpected death of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in 2015, Takeda led Nintendo alongside Shigeru Miyamoto until a new president could be appointed. He has remained with the company in the role of technology fellow since, but will officially retire from that position this June.

Following that, Platform Technology Development general manager Ko Shiota will succeed Takeda as both representative director and technology fellow.